The Hidden Clans: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
by Spirit of Light and Darkness
Summary: The Dark Forest is rising. Apprentices are being tricked and lied and coaxed into betraying their Clans... except two. One of them? A spy. The second? Knows the truth, but is desperate for 'real' training. Ashpaw thinks she can leave easily once she's learned everything the Dark Forest has to offer her, but with her sister's life hanging in the balance... How will she ever escape?


_Hey! I'm the Spirit of Light and Darkness, or Lightspirit/Darkspirit. I've been mulling over this idea for a while, and I'm hoping to have a storyline that keeps you coming back for more! I'll be updating once a week, sometimes more, and having supporters should help me keep my deadlines, so reviews will be welcomed. The first chapter is a bit of a filler, but things will definitely become more interesting as the story progresses. If anyone wants to submit OCs, I will try to use them in one of the other Clans - that is, TreeClan or MeadowClan. Enjoy! Please review and let me know what you thought - constructive criticism is appreciated!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and ideas._

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**THE HIDDEN CLANS: ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST**

**STREAMCLAN**

**Leader: **Creekstar – a long-furred silvery gray tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Snowfeather – a white she-cat with a ginger tail-tip and blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Mintwhisker – a brown tabby tom with white paws

**Warriors:**

Cloudstrike – a large white tom with green eyes and a light gray forepaw

Troutleap – a dark brown tom with a torn ear and amber eyes

Flamefur – a dark ginger tabby tom

Eagletalon – a light gray-and-white patched tom

Brackenclaw – a reddish brown tom with blue eyes

Petalshade – a white she-cat with ginger and black patches  
Apprentice, Hailpaw

Wolftail – a fluffy gray she-cat missing half her tail

Stormwing – a beautiful silver she-cat with green eyes (expecting Brackenclaw's kits)

Brambleheart – a reddish brown tabby tom with white paws  
Apprentice, Pebblepaw

Nightfur – a fluffy black tom with a long, bushy tail

Birdsong – a pale golden brown she-cat with a white underbelly

Jayflight – a black she-cat with white paws and blue eyes

Salmonpelt – a ginger tom with a strange, pinkish tinge to his fur

**Apprentices:**

Hailpaw – a golden-brown tabby tom with sky blue eyes

Pebblepaw – a gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens:**

Stoneflower – a pale gray she-cat with a white underbelly and chest (mother of Dustkit – a gray-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes, and Minnowkit – a pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes)

Foxstep – a dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes and a feathery tail (mother of Sparrowkit – a dark gray tom with amber eyes, Ashkit – an ashy gray she-cat with green eyes, and Berrykit – white she-cat with green eyes)

Dovetail – a snowy white she-cat with light brown spots (expecting Flamefur's kits)

**Elders:**

Fernlight – a pale gray she-cat with a golden streak down her spine

Ravenheart – a skinny black tom with pale amber eyes

**='.'=**

Ashkit squirmed uncomfortably. Somehow her brother and sister had both ended up lying on top of her in their sleep. She shoved at them, but Sparrowkit was heavier than her, so it didn't help much.

"Having trouble?" a snide voice asked from the neighboring nest.

Ashkit huffed. "Go bother someone else, Dustkit," she meowed, glowering at him darkly.

He licked a tabby paw. "But watching you struggle is so much more fun."

"Don't you have an apprentice ceremony to prepare for?" Ashkit asked scathingly. "You've only been going on about it… oh, I don't know… _since you could speak._"

"And how would you know?" Dustkit demanded. "I've been able to speak well before you were kitted, thank you very much."

She ignored him.

"Well, if you need any help," he meowed, settling down into a more comfortable position. "Just ask."

Ashkit mrrowed with sarcastic laughter. "Like you would help me," she replied, redoubling her efforts.

Dustkit studied her for a moment, leapt lightly to her paws, crossed over to her, and easily rolled Sparrowkit off her. Sparrowkit, amazingly, remained fast asleep.

She blinked, surprised.

"Aren't you going to think me?" he asked pointedly.

Ashkit glared at him again. "Thanks," she spat out.

"You're very welcome."

**='.'=**

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Dry Waterfall for a Clan meeting!" Creekstar yowled.

The cats of StreamClan that were not already assembled beneath the dry half of the camp's small waterfall quickly came out to join their clanmates.

"Today, five kits will become apprentices."

Ripples of surprise went through the cats. "But Creekstar," Jayflight called. "Foxstep's kits are still only five and a half moons old!"

The silvery leader nodded. "Yes, they are, but the Clan needs apprentices, and they will be six moons soon enough. I know the dangers of training kits too young as well as you do, and I have thought carefully about this, but I believe they are old enough."

Ashkit couldn't believe it. She was going to become an apprentice! She then was jolted away from her thoughts and yelped as Foxstep wrapped her tail tightly around her kits.

"Oh, Creekstar, you can't!" Foxstep protested. "We've had no warning! Look at the state of their fur!"

Their father, Cloudstrike purred affectionately. "Foxstep," he meowed gently, meeting his mate's anxious eyes. "They're _fine_."

After a heartbeat, Foxstep nodded and allowed her kits to walk up and join Dustkit and Minnowkit.

"Seems like you'll be joining me after all, Ashy," Dustkit murmured quietly in her ear.

Ashkit bit back an irritated hiss. Not now, she told herself. He's not spoiling this.

"Cloudstrike," Creekstar began. "You trained Birdsong well, and she is a credit to her Clan. Now, I must ask you to use your skills in mentoring once more, with young Dustkit."

What? Dustkit's mentor was _her father?_ No!

Ashkit searched her father's eyes for any sign of discontent as he stepped forward, but saw nothing but pleasure. "I will teach him all that I know," he promised, stepping up to touch noses with Dustkit.

"Dustkit, from this day onward, you will be known as Dustpaw."

Cloudstrike led Dustpaw towards the edge of the ring of cats as Creekstar continued.

"Minnowkit," and the pale she-cat lifted her head, yellow eyes bright with barely contained excitement. "Your mentor will be Jayflight. Jayflight, your time for an apprentice is long overdue, and I'm sure you will do an excellent job with Minnowkit, who will now be known as Minnowpaw."

The pair touched noses and withdrew. Ashkit felt a pang of disappointment. She had rather hoped she would get Jayflight as a mentor. _Oh well._ Becoming an apprentice was the most important part, after all.

"Sparrowkit; Wolftail will mentor you. Wolftail, this will also be your first apprentice. Teach him well, and don't hesitate to turn to the senior warriors for more advice if needed. Sparrowkit, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sparrowpaw."

They repeated the ritual of brushing noses and backing away. Ashkit could barely stand still; she was practically trembling with excitement. And then Creekstar turned to her.

"Ashkit," he started. "Until you receive _your_ warrior name, you will be called Ashpaw. Salmonpelt will be your mentor."

Time seemed to freeze around Ashkit. She stared blankly at Creekstar. She must have misheard him. There was no way that he had given her _Salmonpelt._ He couldn't do anything! All he did was joke around and cause trouble like a kit!

But she _hadn't_ misheard, and Creekstar _had_ given her Salmonpelt. There he was, winding through the assembled cats to step up to her, lowering his nose and brushing it against hers. She lowered her eyes as she followed him to join her clanmates, hiding the resentment in her eyes. The rest of the ceremony flashed by in a blur; on some level, she noted that her sister's mentor was Nightfur. Congratulating yowls rang out – _Dustpaw! Minnowpaw! Sparrowpaw! Ashpaw! Berrypaw! Dustpaw! Minnowpaw! Sparrowpaw! Ashpaw! Berrypaw! _– but it sounded as if she had moss in her ears, or she was underwater. Everything felt so distant.

And then the cats were dispersing, off to patrol and hunt and sleep. Salmonpelt was looking at Ashpaw; he looked slightly uncomfortable... and was that nervousness she saw in his eyes?

"So," he meowed. "I suppose I should show you the territory first …?" His voice trailed off into a question.

Ashpaw narrowed her eyes. "I suppose you shou–"

"Salmonpelt!" Birdsong called. "I'm giving Sparrowpaw his tour of the territory, want to bring Ashpaw?"

"Sure," Salmonpelt agreed, looking grateful. "Come on, Ashpaw."

Ashpaw slowly padded towards them, her tail dragging in the damp earth. Her first day as an apprentice; she had a mentor who knew nothing about mentoring, and her father was mentoring her arch-nemesis. And of course, the day wasn't even half over. _Great. Just great._


End file.
